A person applying for a CCW permit has to meet the requirements spelled out in Section 571.111, RSMo, subsections 1 and 2 (effective 8-28-2014):

571.111

1. An applicant for a concealed carry permit shall demonstrate knowledge of firearms safety training. This requirement shall be fully satisfied if the applicant for a concealed carry permit:

(1) Submits a photocopy of a certificate of firearms safety training course completion, as defined in subsection 2 of this section, signed by a qualified firearms safety instructor as defined in subsection 5 of this section; or

(2) Submits a photocopy of a certificate that shows the applicant completed a firearms safety course given by or under the supervision of any state, county, municipal, or federal law enforcement agency; or

(3) Is a qualified firearms safety instructor as defined in subsection 5 of this section; or

(4) Submits proof that the applicant currently holds any type of valid peace officer license issued under the requirements of chapter 590; or

(5) Submits proof that the applicant is currently allowed to carry firearms in accordance with the certification requirements of section 217.710; or

(6) Submits proof that the applicant is currently certified as any class of corrections officer by the Missouri department of corrections and has passed at least one eight-hour firearms training course, approved by the director of the Missouri department of corrections under the authority granted to him or her, that includes instruction on the justifiable use of force as prescribed in chapter 563; or

(7) Submits a photocopy of a certificate of firearms safety training course completion that was issued on August 27, 2011, or earlier so long as the certificate met the requirements of subsection 2 of this section that were in effect on the date it was issued.

2. A certificate of firearms safety training course completion may be issued to any applicant by any qualified firearms safety instructor. On the certificate of course completion the qualified firearms safety instructor shall affirm that the individual receiving instruction has taken and passed a firearms safety course of at least eight hours in length taught by the instructor that included:

(1) Handgun safety in the classroom, at home, on the firing range and while carrying the firearm;

(2) A physical demonstration performed by the applicant that demonstrated his or her ability to safely load and unload either a revolver or a semiautomatic pistol and demonstrated his or her marksmanship with either firearm;

(3) The basic principles of marksmanship;

(4) Care and cleaning of concealable firearms;

(5) Safe storage of firearms at home;

(6) The requirements of this state for obtaining a concealed carry permit from the sheriff of the individual's county of residence;

(7) The laws relating to firearms as prescribed in this chapter;

(8) The laws relating to the justifiable use of force as prescribed in chapter 563;

(9) A live firing exercise of sufficient duration for each applicant to fire either a revolver or a semiautomatic pistol, from a standing position or its equivalent, a minimum of twenty rounds from the handgun at a distance of seven yards from a B-27 silhouette target or an equivalent target;

(10) A live fire test administered to the applicant while the instructor was present of twenty rounds from either a revolver or a semiautomatic pistol from a standing position or its equivalent at a distance from a B-27 silhouette target, or an equivalent target, of seven yards.

These two sections of Revised Missouri Statutes must be taught in order to be in compliance with the law. They, therefore, are the course contents. A training syllabus will be provided when you receive your course materials. This will include our "Learn To Carry" course manual containing information on all the topics required by these two sections. If you have questions concerning the meaning or how these standards will be applied, please see our FAQs page.

How to NOT pass the course:

571.111

3. A qualified firearms safety instructor shall not give a grade of passing to an applicant for a concealed carry permit who:

(1) Does not follow the orders of the qualified firearms instructor or cognizant range officer; or

(2) Handles a firearm in a manner that, in the judgment of the qualified firearm safety instructor, poses a danger to the applicant or to others; or

(3) During the live fire testing portion of the course fails to hit the silhouette portion of the targets with at least fifteen rounds.

This course will focus on firearms safety, understanding the law on when and where you can carry a concealable firearm, understanding when and under what circumstances you can use a concealable firearm, safe gun handling, and basic marksmanship. This course is designed to be informative, fast paced, interesting, and provide the student knowledge on learning to carry under the law.

Due to statutes determining what subjects are required to be covered in this course, and the statutes requiring it be a minimum of eight hours, the purpose of this course is to prepare you to be able to successfully meet the training requirement and apply for a CCW permit. This course is not designed to make you an expert shot or teach tactics. There is not enough time in an 8-hour course to do this. A good comparison would be a driver's education course. It teaches the basics of how to drive a motor vehicle, defensively and safely, to be able to obtain a driver's license. You then need to practice driving. Driver's education does not teach you to be in car chases or race at the Indy 500. The same applies here. Hopefully, if you find the subject matter and shooting fun and interesting, you'll be back for a course which will teach advanced shooting skills and tactics.